American Eagles

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American Eagles

American Eagles

American Eagle 1-ounce silver bullion coins The American Eagle 1-ounce silver bullion coin was introduced during first-strike ceremonies on Oct. 29, 1986. The American Eagle silver bullion program came into being as a way for the government to sell silver ...READ MORE

American Eagles

American Eagles

American Eagle 1-ounce silver bullion coins
The American Eagle 1-ounce silver bullion coin was introduced during
first-strike ceremonies on Oct. 29, 1986. The American Eagle silver
bullion program came into being as a way for the government to sell
silver from its Defense National Stockpile, combined with pressure from
silver mining interests in the United States. After several false
starts, silver American Eagles were authorized as part of the
"Liberty Coin Act" in 1985. By 2002, the stockpile was
nearing depletion and legislation was approved and signed into law to
allow the secretary of the Treasury to purchase silver on the open
market once the stockpile was exhausted. The American Eagle silver
bullion coin contains 1 troy ounce silver and is .999 fine. It has a
slightly modified version of A.A. Weinman's Walking Liberty design on
the obverse and a Heraldic Eagle design of John Mercanti on the reverse.
The coin bears a denomination of $1. Proof versions of the 1-ounce
silver coin were offered starting in 1986 and have been offered every
year since their introduction except 2009. From 2006 through 2008,
Uncirculated coins were produced for collectors with special burnished
surfaces. Silver American Eagles have been produced at the San
Francisco, Philadelphia and West Point Mints. In 2006, to celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the American Eagle bullion coin program, 1-ounce
silver and gold American Eagles were issued with a Reverse Proof finish,
which resulted in frosted fields and brilliant devices, the opposite of
the mirrored fields and frosted devices of the regular Proof coins.
A popular variety in the American Eagle silver bullion coin series is
the 2008-W American Eagle, Reverse of 2007 coin, in which the obverse
die for the 2008 Uncirculated coins was accidentally paired with a 2007
reverse die. The variety is distinguished by differences in the U in
UNITED STATES and the shape of the dash between SILVER and ONE.
Collectors also covet the Proof 1995-W American Eagle silver coin, with
a low mintage of just 30,125 pieces. It was included in a special set
that included the four gold American Eagle coins produced to honor the
10th anniversary of the American Eagle bullion coin program.
American Eagle bullion coins are not sold directly to the general public
by the U.S. Mint, but instead are sold through a network of authorized
suppliers. The Proof versions are sold directly to the public by the
U.S. Mint, as were the Reverse Proof and Uncirculated versions.

American Eagle Silver Bullion
Coins

Date of authorization:

Dec. 17, 1985

Dates of issue:

1986 to present

Designers:

(Silver obverse) Adolph A. Weinman (Silver reverse)
John Mercanti

Diameter:

40.6
mm/1.598 inches

Weight:

31.103 grams/1 ounce

Metallic
content:

99.9 percent silver, 0.01 percent copper

Edge:

Reeded

Mint mark:

Reverse left of eagle's tail

American Eagle gold bullion coins
The United States gold and silver bullion coin program began with
the release of American Eagle 1-ounce gold bullion coins on Oct. 20,
1986. The coins were created 91.7 percent pure gold – or .917
fineness – because American Eagle gold bullion coins were offered as an
alternative to the South African Krugerrand, a 1-ounce coin of the same
fineness that was at the time the dominant bullion coin. The idea
for an American alternative to the Krugerrand gained momentum when
President Ronald Reagan issued an executive order on Sept. 9, 1985,
imposing economic sanctions against South Africa because of its official
policy of apartheid. The sanctions included a ban on the import of
Krugerrands and on Dec. 17, 1985, Congress approved legislation creating
American gold coins comparable to the Krugerrand. The American Eagle
gold bullion program represented the first bullion program with U.S.
legal tender coins after the ban on private gold ownership was lifted in
the United States in 1974. By law the gold used to produce the coins
must come from American sources, but as a May 5, 2009, Coin World
story showed, the U.S. Mint does not have a process whereby it can
guarantee that every molecule of gold in its coins is obtained from ore
mined within the United States. The obverse design on the gold
bullion coins is a modified version of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' famous
1907 gold $20 double eagle – with a slimmed down Liberty. The reverse
features a Family of Eagles design by sculptor Miley Busiek. Proof
versions of the 1-ounce gold bullion coin were offered in 1986. The
Proof half-ounce gold coin was added in 1987 and quarter-ounce and
tenth-ounce fractional gold Proofs were added in 1988. Proof American
Eagle gold coins have been produced every year since their introduction
except 2009. Until 1991, the dates on gold American Eagle bullion
coins were written in Roman numerals. Since 1992 Arabic numbering has
been used. In 2006 through 2008, Uncirculated coins were produced
for collectors with special burnished surfaces. One of the
noteworthy varieties in the series includes the 1999-W American Eagle
quarter-ounce $10 gold bullion coin that was struck with unpolished
Proof dies. This resulted in an unplanned W Mint mark appearing on the
obverse of this issue. The bullion coins typically carry no Mint mark.
American Eagle bullion coins are not sold directly to the general public
by the U.S. Mint, but instead are sold through a network of authorized
suppliers. Proof versions of the gold American Eagle bullion coins are
sold to directly to the public by the U.S. Mint, as were the collector
Uncirculated coins from 2006 to 2008.

American Eagle platinum bullion coins
President Bill Clinton signed into law the authorization for the
U.S. Mint to begin producing platinum coins on Sept. 30, 1996. The first
American Eagle platinum bullion coins were struck in 1997. By the
time the United States started platinum coin production, many countries,
including China, Russia, Australia, Isle of Man and Canada, had already
been producing platinum coins for many years. The United States' only
platinum mine and production facility is located in Montana. The new
coins went on sale June 6, 1997, in four denominations: $10, $25, $50
and $100 – the latter having the distinction of being the highest
denomination coin ever struck by the U.S. Mint. The platinum coins
have been struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, and Proof and
Uncirculated versions bear the W Mint mark. Due to the hardness of
platinum, the coins must be struck several times for their designs to
strike up properly. The Proof issues in the series depict a new
design on the reverse each year. The obverse – common to all coins –
depicts the Statue of Liberty. The common reverse for bullion coins and
the Proof 1997 issues show a bald eagle soaring across a setting sun.
Several design series have inspired the reverse motifs. From 1998 to
2002, Proof versions carried designs created under a program titled
"Vistas of Liberty" that featured a bald eagle depicted over
different regions of the United States. From 2006 to 2008 another
series, "The Foundations of Democracy," inspired designs
representing the three branches of government. In 2009, the U.S. Mint
presented a new reverse design series with designs inspired by the
United States Constitution Preamble. The narratives were prepared by the
Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts Jr., at the request
of the United States Mint. Starting in 2009, an American Eagle
"privy mark" was included on the reverse of the Proof American
Eagle platinum coins. According to a Mint official, the mark was added
to the reverse to maintain the "American Eagle Brand." The
punch was derived from an original "coin punch" identified at
the Philadelphia Mint. American Eagle platinum bullion coins were not
struck in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, only Proof 2010-W American Eagle
1-ounce platinum coins were struck in the American Eagle platinum coin
program. In 2006 through 2008, special Uncirculated issues with a
burnished surface were produced for collectors. They carry the same
reverses as the Proof coins of those years.

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LIBERTY CAP RIGHT HALF CENT

THE SMALLEST DENOMINATION

Although it may seem unusual today, the United States government once issued a coin worth less than one cent: the half cent. The copper U.S. half cent was authorized for production on April 2, 1792. During its 64-year lifespan as a circulating denomination, five different basic design types of the tiny (0.93-inch) coin were struck. The coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint and do not have a Mint mark. The half cent's designers and engravers are among the best known names in U.S. Mint design/engraving history: Adam Eckfeldt, Robert Scot, John Gardner, Gilbert Stuart, John Reich and Christian Gobrecht. Designs for the half cent were also used on other denominations through the years. The 1793 Liberty Cap half cent features a lettered edge stating TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR. The obverse depicts a bust of Liberty with flowing hair, facing left. A Liberty Cap on a pole rests on her right shoulder giving the design its name, the Liberty Cap. The design for the Liberty Cap half cent was based on Agustin Dupre's Libertas Americana medal. Half cents struck between 1794 and 1797 bear another Liberty Cap design, this one facing right, and issued in Plain Edge, Lettered Edge and Gripped Edge varieties. From 1800 to 1808 the Draped Bust design was used on half cents. All half cents bearing those dates are Plain Edge varieties. The Classic Head design was used on half cents struck between 1809-1836. From 1849 to 1857, a Coronet design with Plain Edge was used. All half cents have a wreath on the reverse. The key dates in the series are 1793; 1796, No Pole; 1802/0, Reverse of 1800; and 1831.